Vladimir Fomichev was born in 1953. A graduate from the Leningrad machine-building institute, he went on to study art at Herzen. Due to his first technical education, KoMELFO have complex kinetic objects among their works, as well as interesting solutions for arranging expositions.

Melnikova and Fomichev’s tandem became prominent in the art life of Saint-Petersburg since 1985, when they began organizing art events and participating in exhibitions in Russia and abroad. One of Melnikova and Fomichev’s most interesting joint projects was introduced in 2000 under the title Na Oshchup’ (By Touch). This was KoMELFO’s artwork exhibition in Antarctica. The exposition, which included 54 art pieces, opened on 31 December, 1999. In the frameworks of the project, KoMELFO published the book – A Concise Russian-Antarctic Dictionary. Romantic Version.

Currently, Vladimir Fomichev works with Zoya Norina. The artist kept the name KoMELFO in memory of Natalia Melnikova, therefore Vladimir Fomichev and Zoya Norina’s common works are signed as KoMELFO and Norina. Their exhibitions are always aimed at the dialogue with a viewer — the pictures can be suspended in the air, or stretched on a drum and spun. Thus, they include space into their works of art and invite the audience to make their own interpretations of an unexpected artistic approach.